The only way this ends: herd immunity

The Boston Globe ^ | April 11, 2020 | Jeff Howe

[MinorityRepublican]

Last week Governor Charlie Baker released projections of how many Massachusetts residents were likely to contract the coronavirus. By this reckoning, Baker said, the state would experience “somewhere between 47,000 and 172,000 cases during the course of the pandemic.” This represents between 0.7 and 2.5 percent of the state’s population.

These are daunting numbers. Unfortunately, they are not nearly daunting enough. Because while there is still a lot we don’t know about COVID-19, including exactly how many people are or have been infected, epidemiologists believe that this virus won’t begin to disappear until a far higher percentage of the population — at least 60 percent — develops immunity. If that doesn’t happen with a vaccine, it has to happen through exposure.

[impimp]

Herd immunity is the way to go.

[rktman]

I heard I had immunity so I’m good to go. Or not.

[rightwingcrazy]

The way this really ends is when people get some perspective again.

[Artcore]

I believe this is happening! Rush referenced this very thing last week:

https://www.ksbw.com/article/new-study-investigates-californias-possible-herd-immunity-to-covid-19/32073873

[Morpheus2009]

This virus is going to be with us forever, just like the flu. Might as well accept that fact.

[MinorityRepublican]

Yep but once it’s seasonal, we will have immunity already so symptoms will be milder.

[HangnJudge]

RNA viruses rapidly mutate, how good a “herd immunity” do we have against the common cold...

[MinorityRepublican]

Common cold isn’t “novel”. COVID-19 is, so that makes all the difference in the world.

[proust]

Why did Boris and the UK back off of Herd Immunity if it's the way? 🤔

[Spruce]

Like any virus, this bug is with us until it runs out of hosts.

The only real question is what does it actually do to humans? There is not one single human on the entire planet that can scientifically prove what this critter does to us.

This thing may fizzle-out and be a complete dud. Or it may be a doom-bringer.

Nobody knows.

[MinorityRepublican]

The article mentioned that an occasional crackdown may be necessary to keep hotspots from occurring.

[null and void]

Is Sweden's COVID-19 "Herd immunity" strategy working?

"We have been told to expect deaths to rise in the thousands in weeks to come."

Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

The false positive rate was 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

If a quarantine saves just one child's or one old fart’s life, it's worth it.

[gibsonguy]

Herd immunity must come but not until there is a proven cure. There are several that are being tried and let’s pray they work. Part of the deal with herd immunity is some will get sick, very sick. It is not enough to say well, those in the high risk are just going to die. The fact is there may never be a vaccine. In the meantime precautions must be taken. That does not mean what we have now. There is a middle solution that does not destroy the country with a populace under house arrest and mail voting.

[MinorityRepublican]

The alternative is waiting for a vaccine that may never come. 18-24 months mininium.

[norcal joe]

Give it a rest. You’ve posted the same picture and reply 6 times already just today.

[MinorityRepublican]

Have you had your coffee yet this morning? Haha. ☕

[cgbg]

Humans know exactly how to behave when faced with risk and uncertainty:

—Point fingers
—Call people names
—Generate wacko conspiracy theories
—Blame somebody, anybody

It works every time! ;-)

[HangnJudge]

Best (scientific) discussion I have found, a little dense reading

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554776/

[brownsfan]

“The way this really ends is when people get some perspective again.”

You mean it won’t end?

From what I see, people are now a bunch of cowering lumps, begging for the government to save them.